The present invention relates generally to a floor support structure for a grain bin and more particularly, to a floor support structure for supporting a perforated floor in a grain drying and storage bin having a plenum chamber and a grain drying and storage chamber.
Grain drying and storage bins have existed in the prior art for many years. Such bins generally include a concrete base, a generally cylindrical housing of corrugated steel extending upwardly from the base and a roof. Within such housing, a perforated floor is supported in spaced relationship above the concrete base to provide a plenum chamber into which air is forced for circulation to the grain. The grain is contained within the corrugated steel housing above the perforated floor. In the past, many devices have been used to support the perforated floor above the concrete base. Some of these prior structures are illustrated in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,426,445; 3,591,994 and 3,512,322. While some of these prior structures function satisfactorily, then tend to be quite expensive and exert high stresses against the perforated floor supported by them. This is particularly true in the structures in which the perforated floor is laid directly onto the exposed ends of the wire mesh supports. Additionally, there is always concern with regard to the load bearing capacity of such wire mesh supports and whether a sufficient number of supports are being used to support the contemplated load.